“All great leaders since Moses have known that a feared enemy must be crushed completely. (Sometimes they have learned this the hard way.) If one ember is left alight, no matter how dimly it smolders, a fire will eventually break out. More is lost through stopping halfway than through total annihilation: The enemy will recover, and will seek revenge. Crush him, not only in body but in spirit.” – Robert Greene

Various fans and sportswriters across the country are letting out a collective whine in reaction to Michael Jordan’s Hall Of Fame speech from last night. Instead of taking the typical route which consists of reading a bland speech word for word and giving a step-by-step story of your career, Jordan spent 20 minutes explaining things that lit his competitive fire, things that motivated him, things that made him relentless in his pursuit of being the best at what he did.

Of course, Jordan didn’t take the ‘aww shucks, you guys really like me?’ road, he took shots at everyone he believed crossed him in the last 25 years. There are many who see this as displaying a lack of tact or class, but I prefer to see this as Michael Jordan being Michael Jordan. This is the same man who would absolutely rip the hearts out of his competitors chests in the 4th quarter when he had the big stage. His body may have aged, but one of the biggest infernos of competitive fire we’ve ever seen is still burning inside his heart and he made sure he knew it.

If you want to see Michael Jordan lie and tell everyone what they want to hear, go watch a Gatorade commercial. If you want to hear Michael Jordan be who he is…. listen to his Hall Of Fame speech. Could we really ask for anything better than what he gave us?